The Transforming Basketball Podcast EP139: Unlocking Mental Performance in Basketball with Jon Giesbrecht (Part 2)
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Nov 26, 2025 Jon Giesbrecht, a performance coach and author, dives into the world of mental toughness in sports, redefining it as resilience. He shares practical routines for athletes to regulate their energy, cope with stress, and perform under pressure. Giesbrecht emphasizes the importance of co-regulation between athletes and coaches and warns against the pitfalls of following the 'Kobe Trap' blueprint. He encourages embracing mistakes as growth opportunities and defines the essence of playing free as being present and adaptable on the court.
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Toughness As Regulated Resilience
- Mental toughness is resilience: noticing rising stress and regulating to stay adaptable under pressure.
- Jon Giesbrecht links this to perception-action coupling and keeping options open instead of shutting down.
Do Bigger Movements To Reset
- When overwhelmed, 'do it bigger': increase movement, breath, and vision to discharge energy and regulate faster.
- Teach athletes to meet game energy where it is and intentionally amplify calming routines rather than shrink from them.
Use Eye Contact For Co-Regulation
- Use eye contact and calm posture when subbed out to enable co-regulation with coaches and clearer communication.
- Practice this sequence in workouts so the bench routine becomes automatic under stress.
